Restaurant portion sizes are huge

[Paq]

Does anyone else find this? Went to a pub/restaurant last night and the portion sizes were insane. I managed a third of my salad, brought the rest home and shared it with DH for lunch today. DD got through half her curry and 6'1" hollow legged DH just about managed to finish his risotto but then felt overstuffed all night.

I'm genuinely unsure what has you so full of rage @EspressoDoubleShot

I simply disagreed with what you said, and said so.

That's literally how a thread works. It's not a private conversation between you & the OP, so no idea what your 'vicariously' comment relates to.

You can of course ignore me, disagree with me or whatever but you're wrong that I'm 'vexed & aerated'. I'm just posting on a thread! 😀

I'll leave you be as you do seem very vexed, oddly.

@EspressoDoubleShot

The two laughing faces🤣🤣, somewhat incongruous given your irritation Anyway, as you were

🤣🤣 cos I'm laughing at your post 🤷🏻‍♀️ it's not rocket science.

Not irritated.

Full of rage such obvious attempt to provoke a response

No, I’m not biting. I won’t be drawn into arguing with you Despite your crude attempts to initiate a spat, i am not interested

I have to say @Paq, I agree. A lot of restaurants seem to going down the American path of excessive portion sizes.

Only on mn do I hear of these gargantuan portions that are too big to finish and must be shared over days. Eat what you wish, leave the rest

Not in the UK. Decent restaurants tend to serve normal size portions overall (some may be a little larger ). Crappy pubs and restaurants serving frozen chips etc tend to go for the pile it high approach.

@EspressoDoubleShot

Only on mn do I hear of these gargantuan portions that are too big to finish and must be shared over days. Eat what you wish, leave the rest

Yep, same here.

Anyway , restaurants and all food establishments serve a standard portion. They can’t be expected to cater individually for small or large appetites. You can always order 2 starters, or a starter and sides if you aren’t hungry. Carvery places here serve half portions for those with smaller appetites.

But on MN there are people who survive on half a tomato and a lettuce leaf a day and will never be happy.

I haven't been to a restaurant where portions were overly big and usually they are more flexible with making swaps. I've found some pub lunches to be, but just leave what I don't want. I went to a chain not long ago though and to buy a chicken burger with a salad was more expensive than their deal of burger, chips, onion rings and a drink which seems weird! I do find it unappealing to eat until uncomfortably full, but each to their own. I do like smaller portions overall so can try more variety.

@Anoisagusaris

Anyway , restaurants and all food establishments serve a standard portion. They can’t be expected to cater individually for small or large appetites. You can always order 2 starters, or a starter and sides if you aren’t hungry. Carvery places here serve half portions for those with smaller appetites.

But on MN there are people who survive on half a tomato and a lettuce leaf a day and will never be happy.

Yes If you want a larger meal The starters and sides are accompaniments to add If you don’t want a main meal chose starters & sides Restaurant are not routinely going to halve a main meal to accommodate preference as it probably not possible or cost effective . A steak or fish with accompanments cooked, halved and served is time consuming and a faff. Who is going to eat the other half? Restaurant offer children menu is its small and portion controlled , predictable in size and fixed cost A diner requesting half a meal, that requires the meal to be prepared in half size, what happens to other portion?is it charged half price A taster menu is an option if commercially diners want it, but realistically a restaurant won’t routinely offer taster menu or half portions

A diner requesting half a meal, that requires the meal to be prepared in half size, what happens to other portion?is it charged half price

Someone else who wants a smaller/less calorific portion eats it? If it were served with extra salad/non starchy veg (which is not as filling as stodgier food but very nutritious) it needn't be charged at half price either.

A taster menu is an option if commercially diners want it, but realistically a restaurant won’t routinely offer taster menu or half portions

Maybe they might start to. I think the tide is turning and people are more concerned about health, good nutrition and fitness.

When I order an adult meal for my kids, I don't expect them to finish, nor do I expect the restaurant to take the trouble to make adjustment because the plate is going to a small person.

Kids just leave half the plate uneaten, it's not that difficult. If a 6 year old manages not to feel pressured to finish his plate, I am sure adults can do too

@eightyfourandahalf

When I order an adult meal for my kids, I don't expect them to finish, nor do I expect the restaurant to take the trouble to make adjustment because the plate is going to a small person.

Kids just leave half the plate uneaten, it's not that difficult. If a 6 year old manages not to feel pressured to finish his plate, I am sure adults can do too

It's wasteful though isn't it? Some kids portions are big though, prezzo kids pizzas are about the same size as adult ones (but less than half the price)- handy tip for the frugal amongst us.

So say your half meal is a medium steak, that will be cooked to order and halved. Are you suggesting other half portion sits about in hope or expectation that another diner orders it. Over time the medium steak will deteriorate in condition and steak continue to cook even when off heat and resting . Potential for spoilage of the half portion and probably not commercially sustainable to serve half meals

@grasstreeleaf just because you want a half portion doesn’t mean a restaurant will offer it or that it makes commercial sense for them to do so. I agree there has been an expansion in healthy options and vegan and vegetarian options

It's wasteful though isn't it? Some kids portions are big though, prezzo kids pizzas are about the same size as adult ones (but less than half the price)- handy tip for the frugal amongst us.

oh it is wasteful, but sadly sometimes the kids menu is really poor, and sometimes so is the food.

I don't even mean extravagant food, this weekend my youngest fancied a fish and chips and the only option was the adult one. So they got a fish and chips, but obviously couldn't finish the portion.

If you order a child an adult meal of course it will result in waste, you've knowingly over ordered to fulfil a specific request. That’s not the restaurant’s fault, that is your choice as a diner to over order
Restaurant will menu plan what sells, what customers order.presumably Fish & chips wasn’t listed on the kid menu because it’s not commercially sustainable

[quote EspressoDoubleShot]@grasstreeleaf just because you want a half portion doesn’t mean a restaurant will offer it or that it makes commercial sense for them to do so. I agree there has been an expansion in healthy options and vegan and vegetarian options[/quote]
So this is just the next step. If some places can do kids meals and pensioner's meals on some days I'm sure they can figure out a portion that is more suited to the calorific needs of the majority of the population. The lighter portion could easily merge with the kids with the kids and pensioner's options so there is just a lighter portion of each dish on the menu instead of labelling some menu choices for kids or pensioners.

@EspressoDoubleShot

If you order a child an adult meal of course it will result in waste, you've knowingly over ordered to fulfil a specific request. That’s not the restaurant’s fault, that is your choice as a diner to over order Restaurant will menu plan what sells, what customers order.presumably Fish & chips wasn’t listed on the kid menu because it’s not commercially sustainable

I never said it was the restaurant's fault, my point was only that if you find your portion is too big, you don't need to finish it!

Restaurants are not traditionally trying to lose money and serve oversized portions that will be binned when they could save a lot of resources and serve portions for the majority.

It will only happen if it is achievable and there’s is enough demand
In a lot of places kid menu is limited and certain hours as only a limited number of orders will be received
Many restaurants don’t offer kids,or pensioners portions at all.there isn’t the demand or it’s not part of the menu and experience

Restaurants are not traditionally trying to lose money and serve oversized portions that will be binned when they could save a lot of resources and serve portions for the majority.

Or what they think are the majority. As I have said the tide is turning. People are realising the portions served at eating establishments are just too calorific for the majority of the population. On here there is also a perception that only cheap establishments do this so by filling a plate with chips and bread they are really fooling few people. A lot will overeat out of embarrassment if they were taught to finish a meal / hate food waste.

serve portions for the majority. ⬅️ That’s the point there is no unanimous mn opinion what constitutes an adequate portion
Only on mn do I see these gargantuan portions that last days mentioned

A lot will overeat out of embarrassment if they were taught to finish a meal / hate food waste
⬆️And there you go again projecting your dysfunctional views about food onto others with terms like overeat. You’ve been clear throughout you prefer and want a small portion. You perceive regular portions to be gargantuan and equate their consumption with over eating. That’s your own subjective opinion regard portions , it’s clearly not a majority opinion. As other posts on thread attest there is a range of what is considered adequate portion . You really can’t guess or speculate why someone who isn’t you eats a restaurant portion

@grasstreeleaf

Restaurants are not traditionally trying to lose money and serve oversized portions that will be binned when they could save a lot of resources and serve portions for the majority.

Or what they think are the majority. As I have said the tide is turning. People are realising the portions served at eating establishments are just too calorific for the majority of the population. On here there is also a perception that only cheap establishments do this so by filling a plate with chips and bread they are really fooling few people. A lot will overeat out of embarrassment if they were taught to finish a meal / hate food waste.

But calorific doesn't necessarily = large. You're conflating two things there. Yes, sometimes they are calorific because they're large, but sometimes it'll be to do with the amount of butter / cream etc in the recipe and sometimes it'll be because of the size AND the recipe.

I don't need others policing restaurant portion sizes for me as I'm able to decide if I want to eat it all or not (I do, in general!). If I don't, I'll leave some of it.

Oh, my kids eat a full Prezzo pizza...bottomless pits most days.

People are realising the portions served at eating establishments are just too calorific for the majority of the population

Too calorific if that’s what you’re eating every day or very frequently, Most people don’t do that. In the context of a generally balanced diet, a few more calorific and less healthy meals don’t matter.

I went to Wagamama last week and ate 1200 calories of hot yasai Katsu deliciousness. Plus half a portion of bang bang cauliflower and half a portion of veg gyozas. Probably in total similar to the calories I’d eat in a whole normal day. I have not put weight on because it’s what you eat generally that makes a difference. I haven’t suddenly started making bigger meals because that one was large compared to normal.